When in 1997 the National Science Foundation (NSF) requested proposals for up to two urban Long-Term Ecological sites to join the network of wild and production ecosystems that had been studied up to that point, it had both long-standing and new goals in mind.

Some of the most distinguished scientists in the US have written to UK energy secretary Ed Davey, urging him to abandon the government's "misguided" subsidies for companies burning wood pellets to generate electricity.

Scientists have been sounding the alarm for our planet for at least several decades, but perhaps no voice has been as consistent as that of Dr. William Schlesinger of the Cary Institute. On April 25, to a packed audience, Schlesinger gave his last Friday night talk before he retires in June.

A geostatistical approach for studying environmental conditions in stream networks and landscapes has been successfully applied at a valley-wide scale to assess headwater stream chemistry at high resolution, revealing unexpected patterns in natural chemical components.

Warmer weather is finally here, and for many parents and their children, this means the time to choose a summer camp is fast approaching. The Hudson Valley has a large selection of camps, from day camps to sleep-away camps, covering everything from theater to farming.

On Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m. William Schlesinger, President of the Cary Institute, will discuss society's most pressing environmental problems, and what needs to be done to ensure a habitable planet, now and for future generations.

While bloodsucking ticks can lay waste to a moose and infect humans with devastating diseases, the tiny parasites and the bacteria they carry have no apparent effect on one wee woodland creature: the white-footed mouse.

Another public health challenge the National Climate Assessment will explore is the likelihood that diseases native to other geographical areas will migrate to the United States as climate changes alter ecosystems.

Cary Institute educators are challenging middle school and high school students to creatively bring long-term river data to life in the Hudson Data Jam, a new competition that melds science and creativity.

People living in northern and central parts of the U.S. are more likely to contract Lyme disease and other tick-borne ailments when white-footed mice are abundant. Mice are effective at transferring disease-causing pathogens to feeding ticks.

I always have a hard time choosing my favorite tree, but today I think it must be the sycamore. When I see the winter sunlight shining on their lovely white trunks and arms, all flecked with tan and brown and olive, it’s hard to think of a more beautiful tree.

For more than 30 years, the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook has collected information about local weather conditions. Equipment used to monitor acid rain was installed in 1983 and has provided continuous insight into rain and snow data.

It's no secret that Americans love salt. But our uses for it extend well beyond the kitchen: It turns out we dump so much of the stuff on our roads that a lot of it ends up in our freshwater rivers and streams. Thanks again polar vortex.